Butter Crescents
½ cup milk
½ cup butter
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 package active dry yeast
½ cup warm water (110° to 115°)
1 egg, beaten
4 cups sifted all-purpose flour (about)
Scald milk; pour over butter, sugar, and salt. Cool to lukewarm.
Sprinkle yeast on warm water; stir to dissolve.
Add egg, yeast, and 2 cups flour to milk mixture. Beat with electric beater at low speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Then beat at medium speed until thick, about 2 minutes (or beat with rotary beater).
Add enough of remaining flour and mix with spoon or hands to make a dough that leaves the sides of the bowl.
Turn onto a lightly floured board and knead gently.
Put into a greased bowl; invert to grease top of dough. Cover with clean towel and let rise in a warm place free from drafts until doubled, about 1 hour.
Turn dough onto board, divide in half, cover and let rest 10 minutes. Roll each half to make a 12-inch circle; cut each circle into 12 wedges. Roll up each wedge from wide end and put, pointed end down, on greased baking sheet (you'll need 2). Curve ends slightly to make crescents. Cover with towel. Let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.
Bake in hot oven (400°) 15 minutes, changing position of baking sheet in oven when half baked. Remove from baking sheet and cool on wire racks. Makes 24 crescents.
Note: You can refrigerate the dough overnight before you let it rise. After kneading dough, place in a lightly greased bowl and turn dough over to grease top. Cover with a piece of waxed paper, brushed with salad oil, and lay a piece of aluminum foil on top. Place in refrigerator. In the morning, let stand at room temperature until dough rises and is soft enough to roll, then turn dough onto board and proceed as with dough that was not refrigerated.
Variation: Peanut Butter Crescents: Follow the recipe for Butter Crescents, but before cutting the circles of dough and rolling the pie-shaped pieces, spread with this mixture: Combine 1/3 cup peanut butter and 1/3 cup honey; add 1/8 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon cinnamon. Proceed as for Butter Crescents
I can remember placing a little jam in the middle of the wide end of the roll before rolling. After baking I would then drizzle with a little frosting.....yum! One recipe done two ways. Rolls for dinner and a sweet treat for the next morning.